Wet or plastic concrete is delivered to a job site by a ready mix truck or by a dump truck. Both types of trucks have their advantages and disadvantages. Ready mix trucks simultaneously mix and transport wet concrete to a job site. A ready mix truck can be loaded with pre-mixed materials or dry materials and water. In either case, the materials are maintained in a liquid state as the ready mix truck's drum is rotated. Once at the job site, ready mix trucks disperse the wet concrete in a fairly precise fashion where it is needed. Unfortunately, the cost and frequent limited-availability of ready mix trucks can negatively impact a job's budget and production schedule.
Using dump trucks to deliver wet concrete to a job site provides several advantages compared to the use of ready mix trucks. First, dump trucks have a greater payload than ready mix trucks. Second, dump trucks are plentiful in the marketplace thereby generally assuring sufficient availability even for large jobs. Third, dump trucks are less expensive to own/operate than ready mix trucks thereby making them preferable from a cost perspective. However, dump trucks are not equipped for the precise dispensing of wet concrete thereby complicating their use at a job site. Furthermore, dump trucks are not equipped for adjusting or mixing a concrete mixture while the concrete is being transported. As a result, the viscosity changes experienced by wet concrete being transported by dump trucks to a job site can negatively impact the concrete's workability during placement at the job site.